Physical Landscapes in the UK Glossary

Question 1

Abrasion

Answer 1

a form of erosion where loose material and sediment ‘sandpaper’ the walls and floors of the river or cliff

Question 2

Attrition

Answer 2

Rocks bang against each other, chipping away to make smaller, smoother rocks

Question 3

Backshore

Answer 3

the upper beach closest to the land, including any cliffs or sand dunes

Question 4

Beach nourishment

Answer 4

The addition of sand and sediment to an eroding beach by humans. The new material will be eroded by the sea, which saves the cliffs or sand dunes from erosion and recession.

Question 5

Biological weathering

Answer 5

Rocks are broken apart by vegetation and roots, or chemical reactions from animal faeces erodes the rock face

Question 6

Corrasion

Answer 6

A form of mechanical erosion where materials and sediment in the sea is flung at the cliff-face as waves break against it, this breaks up the rocks making up the cliff

Question 7

Chemical weathering

Answer 7

where the weak acid in rainwater dissolves chemical compounds in the rock

Question 8

Drainage basin

Answer 8

the area of land drained by a river and its tributaries

Question 9

Dredging

Answer 9

rubbish and sediment are dug up from the bottom of the river

Question 10

Embankments

Answer 10

the banks of the river are built up in brick and condrete, to increase the channel capacity

Question 11

Estuary

Answer 11

The point where the river meets an ocean, often muddy or silty. Sometimes, estuaries become exposed at low tide or hazardous to traverse in a boat due to sandbanks.

Question 12

Fetch

Answer 12

The length of water over which the wind has travelled

Question 13

Floodplain

Answer 13

The low lying and wide floor of a river valley. Floodplains are found in the lower course and tend to act as overspill for the river when its channel is full.

Question 14

Floodplain zoning

Answer 14

controlling where houses and buildings are built realtive to the river to reduce their risk of flooding

Question 15

Freeze thaw

Answer 15

A form of physiical sub-aerial weathering where water freezes in the cracks of a rock, expands, and enlarges the crack. This weakens the rock overtime, leaving it more open to erosion.

Question 16

Geology

Answer 16

the physical structure and arrangement of a rock

Question 17

Groyne

Answer 17

A form of hard-engineering. Low-lying concrete or wooden walls, constructed perpendicular to the seafront and run out to sea. They encourage the trapping of sediment to reduce erosion caused by longshore drift by winds.

Question 18

Hard management

Answer 18

The use of concrete structure to reduce or halt the recession of a coastline. Includes: Groynes, sea walls, rock armour

Question 19

Highlands

Answer 19

an area of land that is at a high elevation and tends to have a larger relief

Question 20

Hydraulic action

Answer 20

the pressure of compressed air forced into cracks in a rock face will cause the rock to weaken and break apart

Question 21

Impermeable

Answer 21

a rock that does not allow water to pass through it

Question 22

Levee

Answer 22

the banks of the river

Question 23

Longshore drift

Answer 23

the trasportation of sediment along a beach

longshore drift is determined by the direction of the prevailing wind

Question 24

Lowlands

Answer 24

an area of land that has a small relief, so tends to be flat and at a low elevation

Question 25

Mass movement

Answer 25

Where there is a large downhill movement of material usually from a cliff-face. Here, the rock is often weak due to erosion, and the movement is caused by gravity.

Question 26

Mechanical weathering

Answer 26

Sometimes called physical weathering, this is the breakdown of rocks due to forces, not chemical reactions

Question 27

Permeable

Answer 27

a rock that allows water to pass through it

Question 28

Relief

Answer 28

The difference in the height of land for a particular region. A large relief means a region has a large difference between the lowest and highest points.

Question 29

Rock armour

Answer 29

Large rocks or concrete blocks, used as barricades to reduce marine erosion at the base of cliffs

Question 30

Saltation

Answer 30

A form of transportation where the smaller sediment bounces along the sea bed, pushed by currents. This sediment is too heavy to be picked up by the flow of water.

Question 31

Salt marsh

Answer 31

In sheltered bays or behind spits, salt and minerals will build up. Vegetation may establish, further stabling the marsh.

Question 32

Sand dune

Answer 32

A depositional landform, where sand and sediment build up around driftwood and accumulate over time.

Question 33

Sea wall

Answer 33

A hard-management coastal defence, where a concrete wall is built parallel to the seafront, to redirect the energy of waves away from sensitive cliffs or the edge of a coastal town.

Question 34

Soft management

Answer 34

The use of natural materials and environmentally sustainable approaches to reduce coastal recession. Includes: beach nourishment, managed retreat, sand dune encouragement.

Question 35

Solution

Answer 35

Acidic water dissolves chemicals from a rock face into the water. These chemicals can then be trasported as chemical compounds in the water.

Question 36

Strom hydrograph

Answer 36

a graph to show the variation of river discharge over a short period of time (days)

Question 37

Suspension

Answer 37

small rocks that are light enough to float are carried by the water, rather than along the bed

Question 38

Spit

Answer 38

a long depositional landform, formed from sand and shingle

Question 39

Thalweg

Answer 39

the path of fastest water flow in a river

Question 40

Traction

Answer 40

Large rocks and boulders are rolled along the bed of the river or sea